


Aiding And Abetting

by MaliceManaged



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Discrimination, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Loki Does What He Wants, Mutant Rights, Mutants, Protests, Sexual Humor, Tumblr Prompt, Tumblr: imagine-loki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-09-28 10:40:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10093484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: Sometimes, being in the right or wrong place and time is a matter of perspective...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Now I know what you're thinking: 'But, Malice; _another_ one?' And you're right to. But don't blame me; blame my stubborn ADHD brain. It simply refused to let me work on anything else.
> 
> Based on the prompt: _Imagine you meet Loki for the first time getting arrested at a protest and hopping on the the back of his (a total stranger’s) motorbike yelling “Drive dammit drive!”_
> 
> I saw that and I’ve been itching to find the inspiration to work with it for so long. Its time has come. I’ve incorporated some things from the comics into this story, but it’s mostly MCU, even if I’m playing fast and loose with canon because I can. XD Some of the themes might be a bit sensitive, as it touches on race and other types of discrimination, but I hope you can enjoy the story anyway.

    The crowd was rather small comparatively speaking, given how many people resided in the city, but it was loud. Not that it was likely to do them much good, Loki mused to himself as he manoeuvred his motorcycle around it. He didn’t pay much attention to what exactly they were protesting against, but it was slowly beginning to draw more spectators; maybe their numbers would grow soon, after all.

 

    Whatever the case, it was none of his concern; the bakery nearby, however, very much was.

 

    As he made his way through the danish he’d bought, Loki turned his attention to the crowd again to observe. Judging from the signs, they were protesting against some of the new legislations regarding mutants. He didn’t begrudge them their outrage; the way he saw it, they were only a few steps away from being hunted down and exterminated at this point. Officially, anyway. There had been quite a few fairly recent _disappearances_ already in that area alone that nobody admitted knowing exactly the reason for.

 

    The Trickster wished them luck, even as he was faintly disgusted by the fact that it was necessary. Humans were by far not the only species to turn on its own over any kind of abnormality - he himself was living proof of that - but at least most knew not to toss aside such potentially valuable assets. Especially considering they were slowly coming out of their relative obscurity to the rest of the universe; and not all of the larger powers would be content to simply ignore them as Asgard did.

 

    But again, that wasn’t his concern. _His_ concern was getting back ‘home’ before Thor came looking for him like some errant child out past curfew.

 

    With that in mind, he finished his lunch, threw away the trash and got back to his bike. He had barely reached it when a commotion broke out and he looked behind him to see the police had arrived. That, he decided, was his cue; the _last_ thing he needed was to get roped into that mess and end up getting even _more_ time added to his sentence. As he got on the bike and turned it on, screams broke out, and before he could register what had happened, a pair of arms wrapped around his middle as someone got on behind him.

 

    “Drive, dammit, drive!” He heard a woman’s voice yell behind him.

 

    He probably should have knocked her off the bike, for his own sake. Instead, he sped off around people and cars alike. Once away from the heaviest of traffic, he glanced down a moment to see dark skin, part of it covered in black fabric with red lace over it and a black cuff bracelet, and the other with a pair of handcuffs dangling off the wrist.

 

    Oh, well _Hel._

 

 

******

 

 

    Jaqueline wasn’t entirely sure what possessed her to do it. As if it wasn’t bad enough she’d even attended the protest at all given her record, not to mention resisting arrest and fleeing after the fact, but using her powers to so? That was just plain stupid. At least the people nearest her didn’t try to stop her, being too afraid of her; and she hadn’t even hurt anyone, really. She’d been intending to duck into alleys and hoping luck was on her side for once when she saw him; dark hair, black leather jacket and, more importantly, a motorbike that had just been turned on.

 

    She didn’t even think about it. She just latched on and hoped he wouldn’t throw her off.

 

    “Drive, dammit, drive!” She yelled, and was both surprised and relieved when he did just that.

 

    As they sped off, Jaqueline looked behind them, honey-coloured eyes watching for any pursuit through the mass of her long black curls the wind kept whipping over her face. She allowed herself a flash of relief when she didn’t see any squad cars following them, but quickly quelled it; she still had her impromptu driver to worry about, as he could very well decide to turn her in the moment they stopped. He would hardly be the first, and she had, she supposed, technically sort of kidnapped him. And being a mutant, she knew she wouldn’t get the benefit of the doubt like she might have if she were just the unarmed female she appeared to be.

 

    She was already formulating escape plans in her head when they stopped outside what a quick glance told her was the kind of ‘fancier’ neighbourhoods she wouldn’t be caught dead living in. Slowly she let go of the man before her and got off the bike, taking a few steps back, an explanation/excuse on her black-lacquered lips that died with a slight gasp when he got off and turned around to face her.

 

    “Oh, fuck me,” Jaqueline blurted as she found herself face-to-face with the infamous God of Mischief himself.

 

 

******

 

 

    Loki blinked in surprise as he regarded the black and red clothed woman before him. He wasn’t sure what reaction he was expecting from her when she realised who he was, given how unlikely it was that she wouldn’t know of him, but it certainly wasn’t _that._

 

    “Well; if you’re offering,” He replied with a smirk as amusement coloured his features.

 

    Jaqueline blinked, eyebrow raised, and then burst out laughing, throwing her head back and stumbling back a step from the force of it. When she could finally calm herself, wiping tears out of her eyes, she found him grinning, apparently pleased by her reaction.

 

    “Well, maybe after dinner,” She said cheekily with a smirk then offered her hand. “I’m Jack.”

 

    “A pleasure,” Loki replied, taking her hand and bringing it up to his lips. “You clearly already know who _I_ am.”

 

    “Well, that face is hard to forget, even if it hadn’t been all over the news last year,” Jaqueline replied, “Hell of a way to make an impression, by the way; I don’t think anyone’s ever unravelled an invasion quite _that_ fast before.”

 

    “What can I say? I’m a selfish man. If I can’t have this realm; no one else will,” Loki said with a shrug. He glanced down at the cuffs on her wrist then back at her face. “Now, I believe you owe me an explanation, seeing as I’ve just helped you escape.”

 

    Jaqueline huffed a humourless laugh and raised her wrist to look at the cuffs. “A series of bad decisions on my part, but you’re probably better off not knowing. Plausible deniability and all that.”

 

    “My dear, do you really think anyone would believe me if I denied any involvement with you?” Loki asked amusedly.

 

    Jaqueline thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, okay; that’s a good point,” She conceded then looked around more carefully. “But before anything; where the hell are we?” She asked with a hint of distaste.

 

    “My current residence,” Loki replied rather flatly. She blinked and looked back at him, embarrassment colouring her features as she gave him a sheepish smile. “Not to your liking, I take it?”

 

    “Are you kidding me? Look at me; if I lived in a place like this, I’d have everyone wondering if I’m breaking and entering every time I walked up to the door,” Jaqueline replied with a bitter snort.

 

    “You should have seen their reaction to _me;_ I was fairly certain the insufferable hag across the street was going to have a heart attack. Alas, no such luck.” That earned him a laugh. He gestured to his front door. “Tea? We can discuss things with more privacy.”

 

    Jaqueline chewed her bottom lip in thought then shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I can’t draw for shit and was very bored one day; I made a model of the Jaqueline using this really neat online dollmaker I found: [Jaqueline](http://tinyurl.com/jsh4uz3)
> 
> Here's the link to the site, in case anyone's interested in messing around with it, and there's a lot of others there too: [Dark Mage Creator](http://tinyurl.com/hw3svnh)


	2. Chapter 2

    “Let me see if I understand this,” A very much _not_ amused Thor began as he glared at his brother and his guest, both of whom were sitting at the dining table drinking tea without a care in the world, “You went out for lunch, despite the fact that you were supposed to _stay put,_ and aided this maiden in escaping from midgardian authorities then invited her in for tea?”

 

    “Perfect, brother; I knew you could do it!” Loki replied cheerfully, making Jaqueline choke on her drink.

 

    “This is no joke, Loki; have you taken leave of your senses?” Thor snapped.

 

    “I think some would argue that I never _had_ them,” Loki replied, seeming completely unruffled by the Thunderer’s anger. “Besides, what would you have me do? You know how the mortals treat her kind; assuming she survived the incarceration at all, there was no pleasant way for that to end.”

 

    “And I am sympathetic to her plight, but it’s out of our hands. The mortals have their laws, whether we agree with them or not; interfering with them will have consequences far greater than just her life alone, and you know it.”

 

    “Geez, calm down,” Jaqueline interjected, “I doubt anyone noticed it was him in all that confusion, and I’m not planning to stick around.” She set her cup down. “Soon as I give him the explanation he asked for, I’m gone and you never have to bother with this freak again.”

 

    “That is not-” Thor began to protest.

 

    “Don’t you have a scientist to pester, Thor?” Loki interrupted shortly.

 

    Thor glared at him then let out a sigh and moved to occupy one of the other chairs. “I meant no offence; I have nothing against those like you,” He said sincerely, “In fact, I admire your determination to survive in such hostile climates. But you must see how it could be interpreted, our involvement as Asgardians; it could very well make things worse.”

 

    “Yeah, I know, but it’s not like it was intentional. I didn’t know whose bike I was getting on; I just saw a possible way out,” Jaqueline replied, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

 

    “So, what exactly happened?” Loki asked, “Given that the purpose of the gathering was to protest the treatment of yourself and your fellows; I would have thought you’d know better than to attack the police, of all things.”

 

    “I didn’t _attack_ them,” Jaqueline retorted defensively, crossing her arms under her breasts. Loki simply responded with a questioning look and she sighed and sank into her seat. “Not that it even matters, but it was self-defence. They don’t care if they hurt us; hell, some look forward to it. The prick who grabbed me nearly broke my arm. I reacted. Didn’t even hurt him, really, just pushed him back with my powers.”

 

    “And I’m sure that’s _exactly_ what he will say,” Loki said sarcastically, earning a humourless snort from her.

 

    “What exactly _are_ your powers?” Thor asked.

 

    In response Jaqueline stretched her gloved arm forward and closed her fist as though she were grabbing something; tendrils of the shadows around the room drifted up to her hand and wrapped around it in loose rings. She turned her hand over and opened it, causing the shadows to gather into a smoky-looking orb on her palm. She closed her fist again and the orb dissolved like smoke through her fingers.

 

    “I can also walk through shadows on a good day,” She added with a slight casual shrug.

 

    “That’s useful,” Loki said appraisingly.

 

    “Do _not_ even think it,” Thor told him sharply.

 

    Loki grinned. “Too late.”

 

    “Loki...” Thor warned and Loki rolled his eyes exaggeratedly in response. Thor shook his head then turned back to Jaqueline. “I assume that was not exactly harmless?”

 

    “Oh, _hell_ no; I could flay you with that if I wanted to,” Jaqueline replied amusedly. At their shocked expressions, she raised her hands. “Not that I’ve ever done that! Swear.” They relaxed again. “And if I don’t want to hurt you, it’s as harmful as whacking you with a pillow.”

 

    “I see,” Thor said, still slightly bemused.

 

    Jaqueline frowned. “See, this is why I don’t tell people. Either one of you could snap me in half without an effort, and yet _I_ make you nervous.”

 

    Thor looked away somewhat guiltily but Loki leaned forward. “I’m more interested than cautious, if I’m to be honest. And very curious as to what _else_ you could do with them,” He said with a sly smirk.

 

    Jaqueline looked at him oddly before it clicked and then laughed. “I _bet.”_

 

    “There is so much wrong with you, brother,” Thor said slightly disturbed, earning a wide grin. He stood up. “I no longer wish to be any part of this conversation,” He declared then turned to Jaqueline, “I hope things work out for you.”

 

    “Yeah, so do I,” Jaqueline scoffed.

 

    With a final nod, Thor left them alone again. For a while they simply returned to their tea, sharing a surprisingly companionable silence, strangers that they mostly still were to each other. Jaqueline absently twirled a lock of her hair around her finger and looked up to find Loki staring at her thoughtfully.

 

    “What?”

 

    “That wasn’t the first time you were apprehended, was it?”

 

    She blinked in surprise. “How the hell’d you figure that?”

 

    “Oh, I didn’t exactly; it was just a guess. When you mentioned them not caring if they hurt you or not, it could just as easily as not have been personal experience. Clearly, it was.”

 

    Jaqueline huffed a laugh. “Well, aren’t you clever. No, it wasn’t,” She replied then sighed. “I dated this guy, few years ago, real prick. I got careless and he found out about my powers; he threatened to expose me unless I used them to steal for him. Eventually, I got caught. I got lucky; got a lawyer that actually wanted to help me _not_ take the fall for the bastard.” She smiled fondly. “Still send him post cards.”

 

    “And yet despite this, you still joined that protest?” Loki asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

    “Yeah, I know. It was stupid,” Jaqueline replied with a rueful smile. “But things aren’t getting any better for us. Maybe, enough people make noise, things change. Maybe they don’t. We’ll never know if we don’t try. Someone’s gotta do _something,_ and too many people don’t want to take the risk.”

 

    “Fleeing doesn’t exactly leave much of an impression,” Loki pointed out.

 

    “I freaked out, alright! It happens,” Jaqueline defended. “The last time a guy manhandled me like that, I nearly died; excuse me if I didn’t want to find out how this one would end.”

 

    Loki breathed a laugh. “Alright,” He replied, raising his hands in mock-surrender. “What do you intend to do now?”

 

    Jaqueline puffed out a breath. “I have no idea,” She admitted. “Go home? Hope my little performance doesn’t end up all over the internet, though that’s highly unlikely with the amount of people there.”

 

    “I think it’s safe to say a good portion of the realm will soon know your face, if they don’t already.”

 

    Jaqueline buried her face in her hands with a frustrated sigh. “God, I really fucked this up.”

 

    “Yes, you did,” Loki agreed mildly, causing her to part her hands enough to glare at him.

 

    “That’s very helpful; thanks.”

 

    “Perhaps I _can_ help you.”

 

    She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Why would you?”

 

    “I’m hoping you’ll be _very_ grateful,” He replied suggestively. She scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief, and he shrugged unapologetically. “I told you; I’m a selfish man. Most everything I do benefits me in some way or another. You can, of course, refuse if you so wish.” He smirked. “But I guarantee you, you won’t regret it if you don’t.”

 

    “So humble,” She laughed, earning a grin. “Oh, what the hell.”


	3. Chapter 3

    “How did I let you talk me into this?” Jaqueline asked as she watched the elevator doors close before them the following day with no small amount of apprehension.

 

    “Copious amounts of vodka,” Loki replied simply, leaning back against the wall.

 

    She groaned. “I knew that was a bad idea.”

 

    “Relax, Jack; I said I would help you, and that’s what I intend to do.”

 

    “You know, I could’ve just done this myself if I wanted. Why do I even need you?”

 

    “You don’t, but I’m good company,” He replied with a wink.

 

    She scoffed. “My neighbour’s dog is good company; _you’re_ a pain in the ass.”

 

    “You wound me, dear lady.”

 

    “I _could.”_

 

    Loki laughed in response and she shook her head, trying and not altogether succeeding to suppress a smile. They lapsed into silence for a while as the elevator continued its ascent, the numbers gradually counting up.

 

    “Hey, Loki?”

 

    “Yes?”

 

    “Would you still want to help me if I told you I had no intention of sleeping with you for it?”

 

    A quiet laugh. “Of course I would. I was mostly joking about that, Jack.”

 

    “Mostly?”

 

    “Well, I certainly wouldn’t turn you down if you wanted to.”

 

    She laughed. “Good to know.”

 

    More silence. Jaqueline faintly wondered just how far up the building they were going, but decided not to ask.

 

    “Norns, woman; you could try to look less like one going to their execution.”

 

    “I’m not entirely convinced I’m not.”

 

    “I realise I’m not the most trustworthy individual, but I do occasionally tell the truth.”

 

    She sighed. “You don’t get it; I’m a woman, I’m black, and I’m a mutant. _One_ of those is enough to be cautious at the best of times. It’s not personal.”

 

    He hummed in response.

 

    “It’s really not.”

 

    “Alright; I believe you.”

 

    “Okay. Good.”

 

    Silence. She shifted her weight from foot to foot.

 

    “How far up _are_ we going?”

 

    He chuckled. “I thought you didn’t want to be here.”

 

    “I don’t. Doesn’t mean I can’t ask.”

 

    “We are just about...” The elevator dinged. “Here.” He gestured grandly as the doors opened. “After you.”

 

    Jaqueline took a deep breath then walked out into the room, hoping she wasn’t about to regret all her recent life choices.

 

 

******

 

 

    Jaqueline was regretting all her recent life choices.

 

    It was bad enough she was currently under the scrutiny of the entirety of the Avengers, but within minutes of their introduction they had accessed every piece of information about her that had ever been officially written down and had begun picking it apart, particularly her criminal record. Worst of all, they insisted on calling her by her full name despite her protests.

 

    She suspected some of them (Stark) were doing it on purpose.

 

    Then they brought up the previous day’s incident and she had the further humiliation of admitting to having been scared. That earned her some pity, which was precisely what she didn’t want.

 

    In the end, thanks to Loki’s careful manoeuvring, she walked out of the building with him and Rogers a new recruit to the initiative. They were to collect some essentials from her home to bring to the tower, where she would now live. Temporarily, they assured her. She wasn’t sure she believed them, but it wasn’t as though she had many options.

 

    As they stood at the doorway in her apartment, Rogers placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention. “Don’t worry; we’re not going to throw you into combat before you’re ready,” He said reassuringly.

 

    “Can I just have a moment?” She asked a bit more sharply than she intended, though he took it in stride.

 

    “Of course.”

 

    She walked further into the apartment and went into her bedroom, where she stood before her dresser and picked up a framed picture of her as a teenager with her parents.

 

    “I don’t even like this place, you know,” She said, sensing she was no longer alone, “It was the best I could afford that didn’t flat out turn me away.”

 

    “But it’s yours,” Loki concluded, leaning against the doorframe. She hummed. “It still is.”

 

    “Is it? Really?” She began, looking back at him, “We both know they’re not just going to leave me be. They’ll come up with whatever excuse they can to keep me there.”

 

    “Of course,” Loki agreed easily then leaned forward with a mischievous grin, “But they have to know where you are first.”

 

    “What are you... No, you know what? Don’t tell me.”

 

    “I told you I would help you. I’m not done yet.”

 

    “All this for nothing?”

 

    “No; not nothing.”

 

    “Figured as much. What _do_ you want?”

 

    Loki merely grinned in response and walked out of the room, leaving her to pack. She grabbed a week’s worth of clothing, figuring after that she could guilt someone into either letting her come back to get more or bringing it to her. The photograph she took out of its frame and carefully tucked into a pocket of the bag. She went into her bathroom and grabbed all the essentials, making a mental note to refill her birth control sooner rather than later. When she was done she walked back to her waiting escort and signalled she was ready to leave.

 

 

******

 

 

    “Well, at least I get a decent view,” Jaqueline commented as she stood before the window of her new temporary room.

 

    “I suppose it’s not terrible,” Loki replied, coming to stand next to her.

 

    “Snob.”

 

    “Prince.”

 

    “There’s a difference?”

 

    “Careful, my dear; I’m your way out of here, remember?”

 

    Jaqueline turned to him. “You’re _one_ way out; there are plenty of others.”

 

    “But none nearly as charming,” He replied with a half-smile.

 

    “There’s that humility again.”

 

    “Truly my greatest virtue.”

 

    She laughed and walked over to the bed to sit down. “Holy fuck; this is the most comfortable thing I’ve ever sat on.” She looked up to him in time to see his expression as he opened his mouth to respond and quickly cut him off. “Don’t even.”

 

    He laughed. “You make it entirely too easy.”

 

    “Which I’m sure you just _hate,”_ She replied sarcastically as he came over to sit beside her.

 

    “Oh, immeasurably.”

 

    She laughed then lay back, staring up at the ceiling. After a moment he followed her example and silence fell between them, each in their own thoughts.

 

    “I never wanted to use my powers to fight,” Jaqueline spoke up after a while. “When they manifested, I almost killed my best friend. She was too terrified to be anywhere near me after that.”

 

    Loki was quiet for a while. “I once accidentally froze Thor solid because he annoyed me on an already upsetting day,” He finally said, “If not for our mother, he would have died. He avoided me for a week after that; this was a time when the most we usually spent apart was maybe two hours, so you can imagine how well I took it.”

 

    “I don’t want to be remembered for that. For how much damage I can do.”

 

    “Not many do, but ultimately it’s not up to us how we’ll be remembered. Anyone can and will twist the story whichever way suits their purpose most. I would know; I’ve done it often enough.”

 

    She huffed a wry laugh. “So you’re saying I’m screwed?”

 

    “You _could_ be,” He said with a grin.

 

   She groaned. “Why did I know you were going to say that?”

 

    He chuckled then turned onto his side and propped his chin up on his elbow, looking down at her. “People will use whatever weakness they can against you. I know you know this; you must. So give them as little as you can.”

 

    She looked up at him with a slight smile. “Well, look at you; being all good.”

 

    “Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” He replied lowly with a wolfish grin.

 

    She rolled her eyes. “Aaaand you ruined it.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a funny chapter, but my muse laughs at my hopeless attempts at control, so we get this instead...

    Things were difficult for Jaqueline once her... recruitment became public knowledge; people wanted to know why she was being trained to become an Avenger instead of going to jail for resisting arrest and attacking a police officer. And even after witness testimony showed the officer in question had used excessive force, which caused her to panic and lash out, and some digging showed it wasn’t the first time he’d done so; some had already made up their minds about the ‘facts’, and in turn, her.

 

    Oh, of course she acted as though she didn’t care and that it didn’t affect her in the slightest, but Loki knew better. He rather admired her resolve to appear stronger than she really was, to not show any weakness, but he knew it couldn’t last forever. And so he took it upon himself to distract her while at the same time giving her an outlet for her frustrations by taking over her training. After all, short of using her powers, there wasn’t exactly any way she could hurt him even by accident, which was more than could be said for her initial instructor.

 

    When they weren’t training and he had the time, he snuck her out of the tower ‘for some fresh air’, as he put it; in reality, it basically just meant anywhere the other Avengers and/or SHIELD weren’t.

 

    “How are you paying for this, anyway?” Jaqueline asked as she stared at her... sixth? drink of the evening; Loki’s magick making it so she didn’t have to yell to be heard in the rather crowded club they were in.

 

    “Does it matter?” Loki asked back, eyes scanning the room leisurely.

 

    “It should, given I’m already on thin ice.”

 

    Loki looked back at her waiting expression and rolled his eyes. Out of a pocket, he brought out what closer inspection revealed to be one of Stark’s credit cards. “He won’t miss it,” He said with a shrug, “He never does.”

 

    “Do this a lot, do you?” Jaqueline said amusedly, earning a grin in reply. She shook her head with a laugh. “You’re a bad influence. You know that, don’t you?”

 

    “I’m the God of Mischief, my dear,” Loki replied with a smirk, “I’m not only aware of it; it’s a point of pride.”

 

    Jaqueline laughed again. “What am I doing, getting mixed up with you?” She said with a grin.

 

    “Certainly not the wisest course, if safety is a concern. But that’s what makes it fun.” That earned him another laugh even as she flicked the stirrer previously in her drink at him.

 

    Setting her empty glass down on the table, Jaqueline stood. “Dance with me,” She more commanded than asked.

 

    “And if I refuse?”

 

    A shrug. “Then I’ll dance alone.”

 

    Loki breathed a laugh then finished his drink and stood.

 

 

******

 

 

    She could barely stand by the time they returned to her room, for which Loki teased her mercilessly, much to her annoyance. He walked her over to her bed and let her collapse backwards onto it, to which she laughed, then he knelt down and removed her heels before standing back up.

 

    “I did warn you against those last four drinks,” Loki said amusedly as he watched her try to sit up and fail miserably.

 

    “I have a policy against turning down free drinks if I can see them be poured,” Jaqueline replied, words slurring a bit.

 

    A quiet snort. “And I see it’s working out wonderfully.”

 

    “Shut up and help me,” She snapped, though any bite she might have intended fell rather flat in her current state.

 

    Loki chuckled then stepped closer and grasped her slightly flailing hands, pulling her upright and keeping her so. When he was sure she wouldn’t fall back, he went over to her closet and got out one of her nightdresses, an ankle lengthed red satin one with a slit on one side that went to halfway up her thigh. He turned back to see her fumbling slightly with her top until she finally managed to take it off; he walked over and held out the shift with a barely contained smirk, earning a glare as she snatched it out of his hand. She slipped the straps of her bra off then pulled the slip on, reaching under it to unhook the bra and pull it out with surprising deftness all things considered.

 

    She stared down at the button and zipper of her pants for a moment as though staring at a puzzle and he rolled his eyes and knelt down before her again to help her get them off, pulling the shift down in the process. Once that was all done, she looked at him and opened her mouth to say something then closed it abruptly as she gagged a bit; she shot up, swaying slightly, and he helped her get to the toilet just in time for her to throw up. He shook his head disapprovingly as he held her hair up.

 

    “I think it may be time for a new policy, Jack,” He said when she finally stopped heaving.

 

    “This is easier,” She replied hoarsely as she flushed the toilet.

 

    He stood and went over to the sink, filling the glass she kept there with water before returning to her side and handing it to her. She took a sip to wash her mouth out, spitting it into the toilet, then drank the rest. He waited until she was done then took the glass back, setting it down on the floor.

 

    “Jack; eventually you have to stop.” She stared at the wall and didn’t respond. “This won’t be enough forever.”

 

    At that she looked back at him. “I don’t exactly plan to live forever,” She replied sardonically.

 

    “Jaqueline,” He said sternly, causing her to flinch slightly. He softened his expression and reached a hand up slowly, ensuring she could see the movement. When she didn’t move away, he brushed her hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. “You can’t ignore it forever, Jack.”

 

    “Why do you even care so much?” She asked tiredly.

 

    A shrug. “Because I can. Because you need it. Because, really; why the hel not?”

 

    “And what happens when it becomes inconvenient?”

 

    “It was from the start, my dear; and here I still am.”

 

    Jaqueline looked away again; after a while she stood and began stumbling her way back to the bedroom. Loki stood to help her, receiving only a bit of resistance before she let him. He led her to the bed and helped her climb in, handling her as though she were made of glass.

 

    “I don’t know what to do with this,” She admitted quietly after a moment.

 

    “I know,” He replied, sitting by her, then smiled a bit, “Neither do I half the time, to be perfectly honest.”

 

    “How do we figure it out?”

 

    He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Trial and error, mostly.”

 

    As he sat back and stood, she let out a slight drunken giggle, earning a questioning expression. “You’re the first guy I’ve been drunk around that hasn’t at least copped a feel.”

 

    Loki’s face went oddly blank and he raised an eyebrow. “You need to meet new people,” He said neutrally.

 

    She snorted. “Ain’t that the truth.”


End file.
